1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a shedding device for forming a warp shedding in a weaving machine.
In this invention, a reciprocating direction of a heald frame is called a upward and downward direction; the moving direction of a warp by letting off of the warp, a forward and backward direction; the downstream side in a warp running direction, a front side; the upstream side in a warp running direction, a rear side; and a weaving width direction of the weaving machine, a rightward and leftward direction.
2. Description of Prior Art
As one of devices for forming a warp shedding by moving a plurality of heald frames vertically is disclosed an electric shedding device in which each heald frame is supported by a support mechanism so as to move vertically and each support mechanism is driven by a drive motor provided at every heald frame (Japanese Patent Appln. PD (KOKAI) No. 10-130984).
Each drive motor moves a corresponding heald frame vertically by having its output shaft connected with a corresponding support mechanism, through a mechanism for converting motion for converting the drive motor""s rotation into a reciprocal motion and a connecting mechanism such as a long connecting member for transmitting the converted reciprocal motion to the support mechanism, and driving the support mechanism.
The foregoing shedding device uses sixteen drive motors. The sixteen drive motors are divided into two motor groups each including eight motors arranged in the upper and lower as well as right and left sides of the weaving machine, with motor shafts, i.e., output shafts assembled to the outside of a frame of the weaving machine so as to extend in the forward and backward direction of the weaving machine.
Among the drive motors of each motor group, four drive motors located on the lower side are arranged in the rightward and leftward direction of the weaving machine to form a lower side motor row, while four drive motors located on the upper side are arranged in the rightward and leftward direction of the weaving machine to form an upper side motor row. Both motor groups are spaced apart in the forward and backward direction of the weaving machine.
In the foregoing conventional shedding device, the drive motors adjoining in the rightward and leftward direction of the weaving machine are made to correspond to heald frames adjoining in the forward and backward direction of the weaving machine to drive the corresponding heald frames. Also, a crank connecting rod of each mechanism for converting motion extends from the corresponding drive motor to transverse the front or the rear of an eccentric wheel of the mechanism for converting motion located next to the drive motor.
In view of the above, in the conventional shedding device, half the sum of the thicknesses of the eccentric wheel and the crank connecting rod which transverse the front or the rear of the eccentric wheel should be one pitch or less of the array of the heald frames. Accordingly, the thicknesses of members including the eccentric wheel and the crank connecting rod must be made small, which deteriorates the durability of those members and causes a vibration.
Also, in the conventional shedding device, in order not to make the crank connecting rods transverse the front or the rear of the eccentric wheels of adjoining drive motors, the drive motors should be arranged such that the plural crank connecting rods connected with the drive motors in the same motor row do not overlap in the forward and backward direction, that is, such that two adjoining crank connecting rods form a large angle therebetween, which requires a larger space to dispose the drive motors.
It is an object of the present invention to arrange drive motors efficiently in a shedding device of a weaving machine comprising a drive motor at every heald frame, without lowering the strength of members constituting a mechanism for converting motion.
In this invention, a reciprocating direction of a heald frame is called a upward and downward direction; the moving direction of a warp by letting off of the warp, a forward and backward direction; the downstream side in a warp running direction, a front side; the upstream side in a warp running direction, a rear side; and a weaving width direction of the weaving machine, a rightward and leftward direction.
A shedding device in a weaving machine according to the present invention comprises: a support mechanism group including a plurality of support mechanisms for individually supporting heald frames so as to move vertically; a motor group including a plurality of motors provided at every heald frame with an output shaft directed in the forward and backward direction of the weaving machine; and a motion converting mechanism group including a plurality of mechanisms for converting motion each having a long connecting member for connecting the motors with the corresponding support mechanisms.
The motors of the motor group are disposed on the upper, lower, right and left sides, two or more motors constituting at least part of the motor group form one or more motor rows arranged in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member, and the adjoining motors within the motor row are related to heald frames not adjoining within the heald frames corresponding to the support mechanism.
By arranging the motors on the upper, lower, right and left sides, forming a rightward and leftward motor row with two or more motors, and relating the adjoining motors forming the motor row to heald frames not adjoining in the forward and backward direction within the heald frames corresponding to the support mechanisms, a distance between the heald frames relating to thus adjoining motors, in particular, a distance in the forward and backward direction is enlarged. Accordingly, a distance between the mechanisms for converting motion assembled to the output shafts of the motors and adjoining in the forward and backward direction can be enlarged.
As a result of the above, a mutual intervention of the mechanisms for converting motion individually assembled to the output shafts of the plural motors forming the motor rows can be prevented. Also, even if those mechanisms for converting motion transverse the front or the rear of at least one mechanism for converting motion, the sum of the thicknesses of the adjoining mechanisms for converting motion, in particular, the sum of the thicknesses of the members located near the output shafts of the motors among the members constituting those adjoining mechanisms for converting motion, is not limited to the arrangement pitch of the heald frames adjoining in the forward and backward direction. Furthermore, without enlarging the space to dispose the motors, the mechanical strength of the mechanisms for converting motion can be enhanced.
In a preferred embodiment, the shedding device is constituted to have the support mechanism group support part of the plural heald frames in the weaving machine and, furthermore, comprises a second support mechanism group including a plurality of second support mechanisms individually supporting other heald frames so as to move upward and downward; a second motor group including a plurality of second motors provided at every heald frame with the output shaft directed in the forward and backward direction of the weaving machine; and a second motion converting mechanism group including a plurality of second mechanisms for converting motion having long second connecting members for connecting the second motors with the corresponding second support mechanisms. The second motors of the second motor group are arranged on the upper, lower, right and left sides, two or more of the second motors constituting at least a part of the second motor group form one or more second motor rows are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the second connecting member, and the adjoining motors within the second motor row are related to the heald frames not adjoining within the heald frames corresponding to the second support mechanism.
The second motor group and the motor group mentioned previously can be disposed in different positions at least in one direction selected from the forward and backward, upward and downward, and rightward and leftward directions. By doing so, many motors can be more efficiently arranged without lowering the strength of the members constituting the mechanisms for converting motion.
The motors in the same motor row can be arranged such that the motors nearer to the end portion of the connecting member on the side opposite to the motors are related to the heald frames on one of the forward side and the backward side nearer to the side where the motor group are arranged, among the heald frame corresponding to the support mechanism. This enables to prevent a mutual intervention of the mechanisms for converting motion relating to the motors within the same motor row more surely.
The heald frame adjacent to the heald frame related to the motors of the same row can be related to other motors not belonging to the same row among the motors of the motor groups. This enables to prevent more surely a mutual intervention of the mechanisms for converting motion related to the motors of the same motor row.
In a preferred embodiment, the motors of the motor group are arranged in a plurality of rows respectively in the widthwise direction and upward and downward direction of the weaving machine; the heald frames supported by the support mechanisms of the support mechanism group are divided into a plurality of groups to which the heald frames of the same group are adjacent, each group including the number of heald frames corresponding to the number of the motors in each of the upper and the lower rows; the motors in the first upper and lower rows nearest to the end portion of the connecting member on the side opposite to the motor side are made to correspond to the heald frames of the first group nearest to either the forward side or the backward side where the motor groups are disposed; and the motors of the other upper and lower rows and the heald frames of the other group are made to correspond such that the order of their proximity relative to the first upper and lower rows to which the motors belong coincides with the order of proximity relative to the first upper and lower rows to which the heald frames belong.